ROGER MANN
B.Arch ARAIA AAILA
landscape architect and author
I was born in Sydney on October 27, 1948,
took the degree of Bachelor of Architecture
from The University of Sydney in May 1974,
and at the end of that year went up to Canberra
to train in landscape architecture under
the late John Stevens AM, FAILA
at the Australian National University.
He was a remarkable man and the best teacher
any aspiring landscape architect could have.
I gained my corporate membership of
the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1979 (I retired in 2010)
and that year passed the qualifying exams of
the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects,
of which I became a corporate member in February 1980.
I am currently a registered landscape architect.
the landscape architect
Canberra 1974 - 84
I spent nearly ten years (1974 -83)
at the Australian National University --
for three as Assistant Landscape Architect
and then after Mr Stevens' retirement
as University Landscape Architect --
during which time I prepared the designs for
and supervised the implementation of all landscape works
for the Canberra campus and for such other
University properties as Mt Stromlo Observatory and
the Kioloa Research Station.
When the ANU downsized I spent two years in solo practice
in Canberra working on private gardens and projects for the ANU.
Adelaide 1984 - 1988
I moved to Adelaide at the end of 1984
to take up the post of
Principal Landscape Architect to the City of Adelaide,
where I remained till the end of 1988.
My responsibilities included the preparation of plans
for all landscape developments undertaken by the City
in the Park Lands and the Town Acres and
overseeing their execution,
advising the City Planner on landscape aspects
of proposed developments and the periodic revision
of the City of Adelaide Plan, and for preparing reports
for the State Government on heritage aspects
of the Park Lands landscape.
Major projects included:
landscape redevelopment of Light and Hurtle Squares,
a ten-year tree planting programme for the Park Lands,
major street tree plantings including those for
Pulteney Street and North Terrace
and many of the residential streets,
for all of which the City won the
Greening of Adelaide Award for 1988;
landscape and tree planting plans for the South Park Lands,
for the new Morphett St Bridge parklands,
and for the grounds of the old Adelaide Gaol,
including restoration of the heritage-listed olive groves there.
In Adelaide I was elected Secretary of the SA Group of the AILA
and served on several AILA committees
and as the SA correspondent for Landscape Australia
Sydney 1989 - present
On my return to Sydney in early 1989 I returned to solo practice
as a landscape architect and writer on gardens and garden design.
Design projects have been mostly private gardens and landscape
proposals for factories etc.
Canberra 1974 - 84
I spent nearly ten years (1974 -83)
at the Australian National University --
for three as Assistant Landscape Architect
and then after Mr Stevens' retirement
as University Landscape Architect --
during which time I prepared the designs for
and supervised the implementation of all landscape works
for the Canberra campus and for such other
University properties as Mt Stromlo Observatory and
the Kioloa Research Station.
When the ANU downsized I spent two years in solo practice
in Canberra working on private gardens and projects for the ANU.
Adelaide 1984 - 1988
I moved to Adelaide at the end of 1984
to take up the post of
Principal Landscape Architect to the City of Adelaide,
where I remained till the end of 1988.
My responsibilities included the preparation of plans
for all landscape developments undertaken by the City
in the Park Lands and the Town Acres and
overseeing their execution,
advising the City Planner on landscape aspects
of proposed developments and the periodic revision
of the City of Adelaide Plan, and for preparing reports
for the State Government on heritage aspects
of the Park Lands landscape.
Major projects included:
landscape redevelopment of Light and Hurtle Squares,
a ten-year tree planting programme for the Park Lands,
major street tree plantings including those for
Pulteney Street and North Terrace
and many of the residential streets,
for all of which the City won the
Greening of Adelaide Award for 1988;
landscape and tree planting plans for the South Park Lands,
for the new Morphett St Bridge parklands,
and for the grounds of the old Adelaide Gaol,
including restoration of the heritage-listed olive groves there.
In Adelaide I was elected Secretary of the SA Group of the AILA
and served on several AILA committees
and as the SA correspondent for Landscape Australia
Sydney 1989 - present
On my return to Sydney in early 1989 I returned to solo practice
as a landscape architect and writer on gardens and garden design.
Design projects have been mostly private gardens and landscape
proposals for factories etc.
the teacher
I From 1980 to 1982 I was the landscape architect member
of a group of Canberra professionals called The New Millwrights
which gave lectures and workshops in environmentally-responsible design;
and in 1983 and 1984 I devised and gave two courses
for the ANU Centre for Continuing Education,
one on plants and planting called Four Seasons
and one on How to Landscape Your Garden.
Both were sold out and given twice.
In Adelaide I gave some public talks, on street trees
and on The Sacred Landscape,
and guest-lectured at the University of Adelaide
on the history of landscape architecture,
as part of the undergraduate course
in landscape architecture given by the AILA.
I From 1980 to 1982 I was the landscape architect member
of a group of Canberra professionals called The New Millwrights
which gave lectures and workshops in environmentally-responsible design;
and in 1983 and 1984 I devised and gave two courses
for the ANU Centre for Continuing Education,
one on plants and planting called Four Seasons
and one on How to Landscape Your Garden.
Both were sold out and given twice.
In Adelaide I gave some public talks, on street trees
and on The Sacred Landscape,
and guest-lectured at the University of Adelaide
on the history of landscape architecture,
as part of the undergraduate course
in landscape architecture given by the AILA.
the writer
The return to my old home town at the end of 1988 led to a change of direction.
While I continue to design gardens to commission, I have for many years devoted much
of my time to writing books and magazine articles on all aspects of
gardening and garden design.
I have been a member of the Australian Society of Authors
and was a founder-member of the Horticultural Media Association of NSW,
which I have served as President and Vice-President.
magazines
For nearly ten years (from 1987) I was gardening editor for Australian Family Circle,
and was then garden editor for the brilliant but short-lived NOW magazine.
For a couple of years had my own column, Ask the Flowerpot Man, in That's Life!,
the most successful new magazine launched in Australia in the 1990s.
From 1998 to 2012 I was a regular contributor to Your Garden,
which is Australia's oldest gardening magazine,
and wrote a couple of special editions on roses for them;
and there have been articles here and there in various other magazines.
Heaven knows how many that all adds up to, on every aspect
of gardening and garden design -- I lost count years ago.
Magazines I've written for:
Your Garden
Australian family circle
NOW
That's Life!
Landscape Australia
Zest
The return to my old home town at the end of 1988 led to a change of direction.
While I continue to design gardens to commission, I have for many years devoted much
of my time to writing books and magazine articles on all aspects of
gardening and garden design.
I have been a member of the Australian Society of Authors
and was a founder-member of the Horticultural Media Association of NSW,
which I have served as President and Vice-President.
magazines
For nearly ten years (from 1987) I was gardening editor for Australian Family Circle,
and was then garden editor for the brilliant but short-lived NOW magazine.
For a couple of years had my own column, Ask the Flowerpot Man, in That's Life!,
the most successful new magazine launched in Australia in the 1990s.
From 1998 to 2012 I was a regular contributor to Your Garden,
which is Australia's oldest gardening magazine,
and wrote a couple of special editions on roses for them;
and there have been articles here and there in various other magazines.
Heaven knows how many that all adds up to, on every aspect
of gardening and garden design -- I lost count years ago.
Magazines I've written for:
Your Garden
Australian family circle
NOW
That's Life!
Landscape Australia
Zest
books
Here I can give a full list of published books I have authored, co-authored
and acted as consultant for. Here they are, by date of publication:
books by Roger Mann
Landscaping Your Garden (Murdoch Books 1992, 2nd ed. 1994)
The Secrets of Good Gardening (Murdoch 1992)
*****
Universal's Popular Plants and Flowers series
(Universal Publishing):
Cottage Garden and Fragrant Plants (1993)
Trees, Shrubs and Groundcovers (1993)
Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs (1993)
Native Plants (1994)
Plants for Containers and Courtyards (1994)
Exotic Plants (1994)
Roses (1994)
******
Pruning and Planting for Successful Results (Murdoch 1994)
Better Homes and Gardens 1995 Gardener's Diary (Murdoch 1994)
and subsequent editions for 1996, '97, '98, '99, and 2000
(the 1999 edition was rated 'best gardening book of the year'
by the Sydney Morning Herald!)
The Ultimate Book of Flowers (Random House 1995, Ward Lock, UK 1997)
A Kid's First Book of Gardening (Murdoch 1995)
Cottage Gardens (Murdoch, 1996, Meerhurst UK, 1999)
Making Beautiful Gardens (Murdoch 1997)
Organic Gardening (Murdoch, 1998, Meerhurst 2000)
What Camellia is That? by Stirling Macoboy and Roger Mann
(Landsdowne 1998, Timber Press, US, 1999)
Beautiful Small Gardens and Courtyards (Murdoch 2000)
Yates' Roses (HarperCollins 2002
One Hundred Top Fragrant Roses (Pacific Publications 2004)
Naming the Rose (Random House 2008)
which has twice been listed in the top ten garden books
by the Sydney Morning Herald .
ghost-written books
Exotic Perennials (Stirling Macoboy, Angus & Robertson 1991
Bulbs (Stirling Macoboy, A&R 1991)
Macoboy's Roses
(Stirling Macoboy, Mallon 1993, Abrams 1993 as The Ultimate Rose Book)
What Flower is That? all-new edition
(Stirling Macoboy, Landsdowne 1998)
Macoboy's Roses/The Ultimate Rose
2nd, poshumous edition edited by Tommy Cairns (Mallon/Abrams, 2007)
books I've contributed to and/or consulted on
Reader's Digest Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
(Australian edition, Reader's Digest 1991)
The Year Round Gardener (revised ed., Murdoch 1993)
The Ultimate Australian Gardening Book (Random House 1994)
The Ultimate Book of Trees and Shrubs (Random House 1996)
Containers Non-Stop, Australian edition (Murdoch 1998)
Reader's Digest Fix-it Book, Australian edition (Reader's Digest 1998)
Take Two Plants, Australian edition (Reader's Digest 1998)
The Best Rose Guide, Australian edition (Florilegium 2004)
Here I can give a full list of published books I have authored, co-authored
and acted as consultant for. Here they are, by date of publication:
books by Roger Mann
Landscaping Your Garden (Murdoch Books 1992, 2nd ed. 1994)
The Secrets of Good Gardening (Murdoch 1992)
*****
Universal's Popular Plants and Flowers series
(Universal Publishing):
Cottage Garden and Fragrant Plants (1993)
Trees, Shrubs and Groundcovers (1993)
Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs (1993)
Native Plants (1994)
Plants for Containers and Courtyards (1994)
Exotic Plants (1994)
Roses (1994)
******
Pruning and Planting for Successful Results (Murdoch 1994)
Better Homes and Gardens 1995 Gardener's Diary (Murdoch 1994)
and subsequent editions for 1996, '97, '98, '99, and 2000
(the 1999 edition was rated 'best gardening book of the year'
by the Sydney Morning Herald!)
The Ultimate Book of Flowers (Random House 1995, Ward Lock, UK 1997)
A Kid's First Book of Gardening (Murdoch 1995)
Cottage Gardens (Murdoch, 1996, Meerhurst UK, 1999)
Making Beautiful Gardens (Murdoch 1997)
Organic Gardening (Murdoch, 1998, Meerhurst 2000)
What Camellia is That? by Stirling Macoboy and Roger Mann
(Landsdowne 1998, Timber Press, US, 1999)
Beautiful Small Gardens and Courtyards (Murdoch 2000)
Yates' Roses (HarperCollins 2002
One Hundred Top Fragrant Roses (Pacific Publications 2004)
Naming the Rose (Random House 2008)
which has twice been listed in the top ten garden books
by the Sydney Morning Herald .
ghost-written books
Exotic Perennials (Stirling Macoboy, Angus & Robertson 1991
Bulbs (Stirling Macoboy, A&R 1991)
Macoboy's Roses
(Stirling Macoboy, Mallon 1993, Abrams 1993 as The Ultimate Rose Book)
What Flower is That? all-new edition
(Stirling Macoboy, Landsdowne 1998)
Macoboy's Roses/The Ultimate Rose
2nd, poshumous edition edited by Tommy Cairns (Mallon/Abrams, 2007)
books I've contributed to and/or consulted on
Reader's Digest Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
(Australian edition, Reader's Digest 1991)
The Year Round Gardener (revised ed., Murdoch 1993)
The Ultimate Australian Gardening Book (Random House 1994)
The Ultimate Book of Trees and Shrubs (Random House 1996)
Containers Non-Stop, Australian edition (Murdoch 1998)
Reader's Digest Fix-it Book, Australian edition (Reader's Digest 1998)
Take Two Plants, Australian edition (Reader's Digest 1998)
The Best Rose Guide, Australian edition (Florilegium 2004)
right now?
Naming the Rose received excellent reviews when it came out in 2008 -- and although it is now officially out of print, I still get enquiries from people wanting to buy it.
I'm in the early stages of a new book. Still all under wraps, of course!
But like any author and designer I'm always interested in new projects.
There are still plenty of good books (and magazine stories!) to be written
and gardens to be designed; and I bring both wide professional experience
of creating gardens and -- or so my readers and my old students tell me --
fairly sharply-honed skills as a writer and communicator.
I do pride myself on being user-friendly,
to the owners of gardens I create
and to my editors, publishers and readers.
If you'd like me to create a garden or a landscape of any size for you,
please drop me a line.
If you're interested in a new book or article
on any aspect of gardening or garden/landscape design
-- or indeed on any subject you feel would be of interest --
please feel free to get in touch
with my literary agent Brian Cook.